Valentine's Day is like Easter Sunday

Huh?

I love a good analogy. I think it's just the way my brain works - I can always understand something better if it is compared to something I already understand.

I also love Valentine's Day. I know I'm not the only one, but I also know a lot of people that don't like it. I get it- it's overly commercialized and can end up being very expensive. Roses might cost you twice what they would have the week before. And yes, I agree that you don't need a heart shaped box of chocolates to express your affections. There are tons of reasons to hate on V-Day. One of the biggest arguments I've heard is that it's silly to celebrate your love for each other on one day - you should do that everyday.

I completely agree.

We should also celebrate Jesus' Resurrection every single day.

And in both cases, I really think we do- but I also think there is nothing wrong with having one day devoted to it.

Speaking only for myself here, but I would like to think that my husband feels celebrated everyday. I want him to feel loved and cherished, and I try my best to orient my time with him (and time without him) to reflect that. First of all, I tell him all the time how much he means to me. I also do things for him such as cleaning up our home and making sure he has clean socks and underwear to wear. I make him cookies and other snacks I know he especially enjoys. I ask him how his day was, and listen with a sincere and earnest heart that wants to know his struggles and triumphs- to support and celebrate with him. When I am not with him I am careful not to speak ill of him - I refuse to say anything about him that I would not feel comfortable saying if he was in the room. I feel very strongly that I want to protect not only his integrity in this, but also to guard my own heart. Something I am more and more aware of each day is that our thoughts can often follow our words, and I only want to breed more loving thoughts for my husband, not disrespect.

Similarly I want to celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for me every single day. And similarly, this is also lived out in my actions as well as my thoughts, prayers and personal time that I spend with Him. I want to honor His death with my life- living in a way that exalts the stunning, breath-stealing beauty of His death and resurrection, and His willingness to do it all for our fallen world. I want to be in-step with His willingness to surrender everything, and my prayer is that I will get better at that each day of my life.

All that said, I also take one day a year to honor and celebrate the day that Jesus rose from the dead. His resurrection is the crux of my beliefs. Something that is on my heart everyday, but also something that is so worthy and deserving of all my attention on Easter Sunday. This glorious day is so important to me because of what it represents. My love and adoration is no greater on this day than any other day, but it is an excuse to celebrate what I feel each day in an extra special way.

And so I repeat- Valentine's Day is like Easter Sunday. I do not love my husband more on February 14th than I do on the 15th, (If you want to get really mushy than I might say I love him more on the 15th seeing as it's one day later...) but am I happy to celebrate it in an extra special way one day a year? Heck yes.

This year we're having my favorite meal at home (Homemade Falafels) and then... well I'm not sure exactly- Chris wanted to make it a surprise. How do you plan your Valentine's Day? Do you plan it together, or let your man take the reigns?

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Thanks for stopping by :)

~M